The last time that Georgia Tech took the court before Wednesday, the Yellow Jackets swamped Wake Forest in a game that gave hope to the idea that they had any remaining vestiges of their season-opening losses to Georgia State and Mercer. Seventeen nights later, having returned to McCamish Pavilion after four games postponed by COVID-19 protocols, Tech looked much like that same team.
Before a scattered assembly of Tech students and fans, the Jackets took apart No. 20 Clemson, outplaying and outhustling the Tigers in an 83-65 win. Playing unselfishly and with feistiness, Tech set season highs for field-goal percentage (57.4%), 3-point field-goal percentage (61.5%), 3-pointers (16) while forcing 20 turnovers, one shy of the season high.
Guard Michael Devoe led the Jackets with 22 points, including impeccable 6-for-6 shooting from 3-point range. Jordan Usher and Moses Wright scored 21 each as coach Josh Pastner was able to empty out the bench.
Dating back to last season, it was Tech’s third consecutive win over the Tigers, who had won the previous five in the series. Tech improved to 7-3 overall and 3-1 in the ACC. Clemson (9-3, 3-3), which was No. 12 a week ago, has now lost its last two games by a combined 48 points.
On paper, circumstances were in Clemson’s favor. Not only were the Jackets coming off their layoff, but Clemson brought one of the strongest defenses in the country to McCamish, one that ranked eighth in defensive turnover percentage (per KenPom) coming into the game. Further, Clemson had just come back from its own COVID-19 break and was likely smarting over a home blowout loss to Virginia on Saturday. Further, because of COVID-19 protocols, it wasn’t as though the Jackets had spent the entire break practicing together – the team had to gradually work up to contact practices. Not ideal conditions for a team likely to be shaking off rust.
However, Tech appeared to only minimally impacted by the break. In their first four possessions, forward Moses Wright hit a 3-pointer and scored on two dunks. The ball moved crisply and players cut smartly without the ball. The Jackets were aggressive to 50-50 balls, fought through screens and played in unison.
It was the look of a team hungry to resume its bid for the Jackets’ first NCAA tournament berth and entirely capable of doing so. The win over the Tigers was the Jackets’ most significant of the season. Besides the AP ranking, Clemson was ranked 39th nationally in NET after Tuesday’s games. (Tech was 70th.)
The Jackets took control of the game midway through the first half with a 16-5 run that turned a 23-21 Clemson lead into a 35-28 advantage for Tech. Usher hit a 3 from the corner on a pass from Wright. On the next trip down, Usher faked a pass to the corner and bagged another 3, this time from the wing. Devoe hit a stepback 3 over a challenge. Wright drove the lane for a dunk, scored again in the lane (plus an and-one free throw) and then capped the run by driving down the lane and slipping a pass to Usher as he cut along the baseline.
A 10-0 spurt in the middle of the second half raised the lead to 68-46, providing the Jackets the margin to withstand a lapse that enabled Clemson to cut the lead to as few as 13.
